Abu Dhabi: It was 65 years to the day that the Russians, as part of the Allied Forces, helped stop the spread of Nazism in the Second World War.
On Sunday, Russians in the UAE and those from countries which comprised the Soviet Union, gathered at the Hilton Hotel to celebrate Victory Day.
The day honours Russians who were killed in the Second World War.
The reception was hosted by the UAE Embassy of the Russian Federation.
"We are celebrating the 65th anniversary of Victory Day, which is a very important day for us," said Russian Federation to the UAE Ambassador Andrew Andreev.
"Sixty-five years ago, we [the Allies] just succeeded in stopping Nazism from spreading but at a great loss, which is why this day is bittersweet for everyone," he said.
"It is very symbolic that we are celebrating this day here because Russia has a very good relationship with the UAE."
"There are 15,000 Russian expatriates currently living in the UAE. Many of our expatriates live in Dubai and Sharjah. In fact, the children who performed this evening are a part of a specialised art school in Dubai.
"They performed songs about this special day as well as various songs about the [Second World War]. They also recently staged a concert for Victory Day," Andreev said.
"We are already undergoing preparations for our National Day, which falls on June 12."
